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Amazon Hires 2 'Star Trek' Writers for Upcoming 'Lord of the Rings' Series

Freelance Writer. Hip-hop, Sailor Moon and indie comics make me happy. Catch me talking about it all on the Nerds on Hip Hop podcast.

Jul 29, 2018

Back in 2017, Amazon announced plans to create a Lord of the Rings television series. Now, the company has picked the two writers who will develop the series.

Deadline reports newcomers JD Payne and Patrick McKay will co-scribe the series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's famed fantasy novels. Payne and McKay were both on the scriptwriting team for Star Trek: Beyond and Godzilla vs. Kong. They're also writing the Star Trek: Beyond sequel. But the two are definitely excited to tackle Tolkien's work.

"The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity," read a joint statement from Payne and McKay. "We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew. We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime."

Peter Jackson, who directed the original film trilogy, could be brought back into the mix as well. Deadline notes "conversations continue with Jackson about a potential involvement and about possibly filming the series on his sets in New Zealand." It's still unclear whether or not the series will take place in the same world as Jackson's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, but Amazon previously said they would be "explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring." But whether or not they decide to connect the worlds and bring the cast to New Zealand, they'll have the budget. Amazon is projected to spend $1 billion on the series for a total of five seasons.